When William Maillis walks in to his astronomy class, the 91社区 undergraduate can鈥檛 help but stand out. At 11-years-old, he鈥檚 about a decade younger than a lot of his peers. His classmate, John Beeman, is equally as uncommon, but at 75, for the exact opposite reason.
More than 60 years separate the two students and while they come from very different places and are working toward very different goals, they鈥檙e both part of the boundless community that makes USF an extraordinary place to learn, work, live and grow.
鈥淚 was quite thrilled by the idea of having them both in class, especially as they have sat beside each other for most of the semester,鈥� said USF instructor Kevin MacKay, PhD, who has the students in his Contemporary Thinking in Astronomy course.
鈥淚 have been teaching in higher education for 25 years and although I have had some students over 80, I have never had a student as young as 11 in a college class.鈥�
Maillis is perhaps the youngest student to ever attend USF. According to his parents, he was doing basic math by the time he was two, learned algebra by four and was officially declared a genius when he was just five-years-old. While other kids his age are just starting middle school, Maillis is working toward a 鈥� taking courses like Stellar Astronomy & Cosmology, Calculus and Physics.
鈥淪pace is just cool,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd astrophysics, put simply, is the physics of space. How space works, how everything outside the Earth works, basically. I鈥檝e just always been really interested in learning about that.鈥�
Maillis expects to complete his bachelor鈥檚 degree by the time he鈥檚 13. After that, he plans to continue his studies through a PhD program 鈥� something he hopes to earn by the time he鈥檚 old enough to vote.
75-year-old John Beeman says sitting in class next someone more than six decades younger has been a wonderful experience.
鈥淚 was amazed by William when I first met him in class,鈥� he said. 鈥淭o be so young and know so much, it鈥檚 incredible.鈥�
A huge fan of USF Bulls football, Beeman has remained in the classroom long after receiving his bachelor鈥檚 degree in sociology in 2012. In fact, he says he plans to keep signing up for courses as long as he鈥檚 able to get around campus.
As a student with a disability, Beeman hopes to one day earn a master鈥檚 degree in special education and work with other students dealing with similar issues. Until then, he says he鈥檚 happy to be taking a variety of classes to stimulate his mind.
鈥淭he main reason I鈥檓 here is because I like to learn, and I like a challenge,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 always do as well on the tests as I want to, but I never give up. No matter what, never give up.鈥�
It鈥檚 a lesson he hopes to pass along to fellow classmates, including to the 11-year-old sitting nearby.
